This chocolate covered strawberries recipe is so simple to make and is dairy-free and vegan. With the perfect combination of rich chocolate and tangy fruit, it’s the ultimate dessert for a romantic night in or your self-care holiday.
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Why I Love This
This classic Valentine’s Day dessert gets a new spin with our dairy-free, vegan makeover. You might think that changing up the recipe would make it more complicated, but the opposite is true.
With just three ingredients (one of them optional), this romantic homemade dessert is as easy as it gets. It takes just 20 minutes to prep the ingredients and dip the berries, and an additional 30 minutes to chill.
Don’t think this recipe is just for couples on romantic nights. Kids love these chocolate-dipped strawberries, too! And it’s 100% a-okay for you to make up a batch for yourself whenever you need a delicious pick-me-up.
With rich chocolate, tangy strawberries, and the perfect crunch that melts in your mouth, why not enjoy this vegan, pretty-much-healthy dessert whenever the mood strikes?
Ingredients
With ripe strawberries and your favorite vegan chocolate chips, you have everything you need to make this super-simple, super-yummy dessert.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – I use Enjoy Life semi-sweet chunks when I make this recipe. Their flavor has that rich-yet-slightly-bitter cocoa I love with just the right amount of sweetness. But, of course, you can use whatever vegan chocolate chip brand you prefer.
- Strawberries – When choosing strawberries for this recipe, look for large, deep red berries without any white showing on top. These perfectly ripe strawberries will provide the optimal balance of sweet and tangy to go with the chocolate coating.
How to Make
Making these chocolate covered strawberries takes a bit of time but really only involves a few key steps. We’ll go over these below to give you an idea of what to do when it comes time to step into the kitchen.
Before you get started, always make sure to wash your strawberries thoroughly and dry them completely.
Preparing the Chocolate
Step 1: Fill a small pot ⅓ of the way to the top with water. Make sure this is a pot you can easily set a metal or glass bowl in, preferably with the lip of the bowl sitting on the edge of the pan.
Step 2: Heat the water to a gentle boil.
Step 3: Place your chocolate chips in the above-mentioned bowl. Then place the bowl in the pot.
Step 4: Melt the chocolate slowly, stirring frequently. When about half the chocolate has melted, stir in the oil (if using). It will take about 15 minutes for the chocolate to fully melt.
Preparing the Strawberries
Step 1: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 2: Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate and place it on the prepared baking sheet. If the chocolate starts to harden before you’re done, remelt it using the instructions above.
Step 3: Place the finished berries in the fridge for about 15 to 30 minutes, or until set.
Expert Tip: Add an Extra Drizzle
Unless you really like getting your hands messy, it can be hard to cover more than half the strawberry in chocolate when dipping it. That’s why I like to drizzle on a little extra chocolate after I have all my strawberries on the baking pan.
To do this, place your dipped strawberries in the fridge to get the chocolate to start setting. In the meantime, remelt your chocolate as we did before and add an extra teaspoon or two of oil to thin it out. You want it to be thin enough to drip easily off a spoon.
Next, pull your almost-set berries out of the fridge and carefully drizzle the chocolate over the exposed strawberry flesh on each.
Once done, put them back in the fridge until all the chocolate has hardened.
Not only will your finished berries be that much more chocolatey, but they’ll look amazing.
Variations
Like traditional chocolate covered strawberries, you can add toppings to this dessert. Some of my favorite vegan-friendly options include:
- shredded coconut
- crushed nuts
- edible glitter
- vegan sprinkles
- mini vegan chocolate chips
- graham cracker crumbs
- melted white chocolate (drizzled)
- crushed candy canes
Simply sprinkle the toppings on the strawberries before the chocolate sets.
Additionally, this recipe can be adapted for any type of fruit, like bananas or orange slices.
What to Serve With
Chocolate covered strawberries are a relatively healthy and light dessert that can follow almost any meal. But you might wonder what foods or drinks pair well with them. Here are a couple ideas.
Desserts
Your best bet here is ice cream, of course! There are lots of amazing dairy-free ice cream brands, but you can also make your own vegan ice cream without a machine. You can also try topping with our coconut milk whipped cream.
Wine
The primary flavor you’re pairing with here is chocolate, and the Enjoy Life chocolate we used for this recipe is a semi-sweet with 69% cacao—basically a dark chocolate. The bitterness of dark chocolate pairs well with big red wines on the sweeter side, like a Zinfandel or even a Port.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use non-vegan chocolate?
Yes, you can use any kind of baking chocolate to make this recipe. As long as it melts well, it will work!
Why won’t my chocolate stick to my strawberries?
Chocolate not sticking to the berries is typically because the strawberries are wet. Be sure to dry them thoroughly before you dip them in the chocolate. It is also easier to get the chocolate to stick to room-temperature strawberries than it is to cold strawberries.
Do chocolate covered strawberries need to be refrigerated after dipping?
Yes, in most cases you will need to refrigerate the strawberries after dipping them to get the chocolate to set. If the temperature in your kitchen is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the chocolate will harden if left on the counter, it may just take longer.
Storage
Storing your vegan chocolate covered strawberries correctly is key to maintaining their flavor and texture. But the best way to store them will depend on your circumstances.
On the Counter
The best place to store your chocolate covered strawberries, typically, is on the counter.
Once they have set in the fridge, take them out, place them on a plate, and loosely cover them with a clean cloth. As long as the temperature in the kitchen stays below 75 degrees, they should be perfectly fine left out for up to 24 hours.
This method of storage best preserves the texture of the set chocolate. But if your kitchen is too warm, or if you need the strawberries to last more than one day, the fridge is the best spot for them.
In the Fridge
When household temps are too warm or when you need to preserve your chocolate covered strawberries for longer periods, the fridge is a good option. But because chocolate strawberries stored this way tend to sweat, you’ll need to take a few extra steps to preserve them.
First, place a couple of paper towels in the bottom of your container. Then set the strawberries on top in a single layer.
If the container has high enough sides that the lid doesn’t touch the strawberries, you can set the lid loosely on top. If the berries stick up above the sides, gently wrap the container in plastic wrap or wax cloth to protect them and keep most of the air out.
When stored this way, they will stay good for about two to three days. But know that the longer they’re in the fridge, the softer the chocolate will get.
In the Freezer
I do not recommend freezing your chocolate covered strawberries.
The chocolate will slide off the berries and turn mushy as they’re defrosted. Not to mention that thawed berries do not have the same desirable texture as fresh ones.
Serving Size
This recipe calls for 16 ounces of strawberries. That equates to about 30 strawberries, depending on their size.
If you find a package of nice big, plump strawberries (which is ideal for this purpose), you’ll probably end up with closer to 24 strawberries.
As far as how many strawberries equal one serving, that’s up to you. Some days I can eat the entire batch in one sitting!
Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
- 16 ounces strawberries
- 8 ounces vegan chocolate chips about 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon olive or coconut oil plus more as needed
- Coconut flakes, crushed nuts, or vegan sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Wash and dry the strawberries. Place the chocolate chips in a stainless steel bowl.
- Fill 1/3 of a small pot with water. Place on the stovetop, then put the bowl of chocolate chips on top. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
- Bring the water to a gentle boil. Heat the chocolate chips until melted, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir the chocolate continously and add oil, if using.
- Once melted, remove the chocolate from the heat. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each strawberry into the chocolate, then place on the sheet. Add toppings, if using, then chill in the refrigerator until set.
- To add an extra chocolate drizzle, melt the remaining chocolate and add oil until thin and smooth. Drizzle on the strawberries, then return the berries to the refrigerator.
Notes
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Okay already Tyree Macklin
Perfect and do easy! Used lily’s dark chocolate unsweetened dairy free chips and a pinch of olive oil. Also used it to dip sumo citrus slices. Yum!